"Some people believe football is a matter of life and death. I’m very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is much, much more important than that.”
Bill Shankly, Liverpool FC
Showing posts with label FA Cup. Show all posts
Showing posts with label FA Cup. Show all posts
Wednesday, 18 May 2016
View from the Top - Bill Shankly
"Some people believe football is a matter of life and death. I’m very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is much, much more important than that.”
Thursday, 12 May 2016
Mourinho in Mexico City
José Mourinho is certain he will be managing a club within two months and says he will sign a new contract by 30 June.
The 53-year-old Portuguese has been strongly linked with the Manchester United job but speaking from Mexico, he claimed to “know nothing” about a move to Old Trafford to replace Louis van Gaal.
Mourinho, who was fired as Chelsea manager in December, was back in the dugout on Wednesday in the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City to coach a Fifa Legends team, featuring Ronaldinho and Fabio Cannavaro, against a Mexican All-stars side.
Managing a team again, albeit for an exhibition before the Fifa Congress, had whetted Mourinho’s appetite for a return to coaching. “Of course I miss it,” Mourinho said. “In July I will be back. So we are in May. May to July is nothing. I keep enjoying my life which I’m doing, keep enjoying my family. But in July I am back.”
Asked when he needed to sign a contract by, the London-based Mourinho responded: “June 30 – that’s fine.”
Manchester United have not denied months of reports that Van Gaal will leave Old Trafford at the end of the season and be replaced by Mourinho, who coached Real Madrid, Internazional and Porto around his two stints at Chelsea.
Van Gaal’s United future looks bleaker with a fourth-place finish in the Premier League now out of the team’s hands. To qualify for the Champions League, United need to beat Bournemouth and rely on Manchester City losing to Swansea on the final day of the season on Sunday.
“I don’t know. I know nothing about it really,” Mourinho said, when asked about being hired by United. “I don’t have a club and I was waiting for these guys [the Fifa Legends] to win the match to give me a hand but because I lost the match [9-8] it’s even more difficult to get the club.”
The United director David Gill is also in Mexico City in his capacity as a Fifa vice-president. If Mourinho does resume employment in July he will not have officially been involved in planning for the club’s season.
“It’s difficult because when you get a new club in this period normally the clubs they did already their work,” Mourinho said. “I give you an example. I’m not the Chelsea manager but I organised the Chelsea pre-season in many aspects because I did that 10 months ago.
“Clubs have their commercial, marketing departments always involved in everything. When a new manager arrives in May, June it’s very difficult to touch in some points but we know that.”
But Mourinho said a late appointment would not affect his ability to identify and sign transfer targets before the start of the new season in August.
“Scouting is done during the year,” Mourinho said. “It’s not even a competition like the Euros where you are going to find by miracle some new talents. We know everybody, so it’s just a question of trying to choose the players that your team needs because the scouting, with our structures, we do it for many, many players.”
Saturday, 16 April 2016
Schweinsteiger Fitness Fight for EURO
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| Schweinsteiger - Getty Images |
Bastian Schweinsteiger is unlikely to play for Manchester United again this season, but Louis van Gaal believes the Germany captain could yet make Euro 2016.
Injury has restricted the World Cup winner to just 31 appearances since he swapped Bayern Munich for Old Trafford.
The last of those came in the derby win at Manchester City before an international break when Schweinsteiger suffered a knee ligament tear during training with Germany before the friendly with England.
That blow came after he had recently returned from a two-month knee injury, with this current complaint set to rule the midfielder out for the rest of United’s season if not perhaps this summer’s European Championship in France.
“I don’t think Schweinsteiger shall play this season – I think, next season, he is prepared,” Van Gaal said.
“Maybe he is prepared for the European Championship, I cannot predict. It is possible, but then that is also in our favour because then he is fit for the new competition.”
Wednesday, 6 April 2016
Paris Saint German v Manchester City - Preview
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| PSG meet Manchester City |
Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart is fit to play against Paris St-Germain in Wednesday's Champions League quarter-final first leg.
England international Hart, 28, has been out since injuring a calf in the 1-0 Premier League defeat by Manchester United on 20 March.
He took part in training on Tuesday before travelling to Paris.
"Hart has had medical and physical tests and has no problems to play," said manager Manuel Pellegrini.
City are in the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time and face a team that has reached this stage of the competition in four successive seasons.
Pellegrini is not planning to take a cautious approach.
"We are not coming to Paris to draw 0-0. We'll play our usual way," he added. "Both teams have a chance to continue to the next stage and that chance is 50-50 for each team."
PSG boss Laurent Blanc does not believe his side are favourites to progress to the last four, but says City are "behind" the French champions in Europe.
"Manchester City had the same project a bit before Paris St-Germain," said the former Manchester United defender.
"They managed to win their domestic league, which is not an easy task, and some other titles, but maybe in Europe maybe they're a bit behind us."
Blanc suggested the Premier League's intensity has hampered the ability of English sides to pose a stronger challenge for European trophies.
Only Manchester United (2011) and Chelsea (2012 and 2014) have reached the semi-finals of the Champions League since 2010.
"Maybe England is more competitive but I don't see many English teams in the semi-finals of the European competitions over the last five or six years," said Blanc.
"Maybe they have reached a further level in terms of fatigue. You need to find a right balance. There are problems in every domestic league."
City midfielder Yaya Toure will miss the game with a heel injury, while forward Raheem Sterling is sidelined by a groin problem.
PSG's former Manchester United forward Angel di Maria is available after being rested for Saturday's 4-1 win over Nice.
Laurent Blanc
I have excellent memories of Manchester from when I was playing for Manchester United. We used to drive by the City training ground on the way to ours, but I think it's no longer there.
The city itself has transformed a lot. It used to be very post-industrial, but it has flourished into quite a charming place now. On the sporting front, City are reducing their deficit to United and becoming a great club again – let's not forget they were strong in the 1970s.
They say experience can make the difference in ties such as this and that every detail counts. After the draw, some were relieved and said it was a good one for us as we avoided the two giants, Barcelona and Bayern. I strongly warned my players not to listen to that. Those who say that don't understand anything about football.
We'll be up against a team with quality and quality in depth – their squad overall has much more quality than ours. These will be two difficult and delicate games.
Manuel Pellegrini, City manager
It'll be difficult but I believe we have a chance. Paris are a very good team, with a project similar to Manchester City in a sense, trying to grow year by year. Both teams have an opportunity to push on. I don't think there's a clear favourite in this tie.
It was important this season for us to win our group for the first time, and then we won in the round of 16 for the first time. We will see what happens against Paris.
Joe Hart has worked without any problem for the last few days and we tested him today. There's always a risk when a player returns from injury, but I don't think there's a problem with him playing.
Paris now hold a 25-point lead over second-placed Monaco (the record is 17) and Ibrahimović, on 30 league goals, has twice as many as anyone else in the division this term.
City returned to form and remain in the Premier League's top four after a quick start against a team they had last visited 16 years ago in England's third tier. Fernando opened his goal account for the campaign and, back from injury, Kevin De Bruyne volleyed in his first goal since 26 December.
Thursday, 17 March 2016
Manchester United v Liverpool - Preview
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| Getty Images |
Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal feels his side "must deliver" in their Europa League last-16 second leg tie against Liverpool on Thursday.
A desperately poor performance from the Red Devils saw them lose 2-0 in the first leg at Anfield last week.
United have failed to win in their last three matches in all competitions.
"It starts with the players, of course, but it starts also with the fans. They have a lot of impact on the pitch," said Dutchman Van Gaal.
The meeting against rivals Liverpool comes a week before the 32nd anniversary of one of their greatest comebacks.
Trailing 2-0 to Barcelona in the European Cup Winners' Cup, United won 3-0 at Old Trafford to reach the semi-finals.
They were also 2-1 down to Danish side FC Midtjylland after the first leg in the previous round, before winning 5-1 in the second.
"We have to believe in it," said Van Gaal when asked if they can rescue the tie. "I have spoken only with the players about the victory.
"We always owe to the fans a big result because the fans are paying to see that. We have to deliver."
'We can finish the job'
Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal pointed to the atmosphere at Anfield being the difference for Liverpool
Liverpool last won the competition in 2001 - in its guise as the Uefa Cup - and it remains their only opportunity to win a trophy this season.
Their energetic performance in the first leg allowed them to open up an advantage which boss Jurgen Klopp feels they can keep hold of.
"We know about the job we have to do," said the German. "We will try to play similar or more intensive.
"I am absolutely optimistic [that my team will put in a good performance]. We know that we know how to play them.
"It was a good night for us last week. But at the same time it's only halfway. We'll go into the game confident we can finish the job."
Winger Ashley Young and full-back Cameron Borthwick-Jackson will not be risked by Manchester United and midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger is not ready to start.
Liverpool midfielder James Milner returns after missing the first leg through illness but the visitors are still likely to be without defender Martin Skrtel, who has been out with a hamstring injury.
Thursday, 10 March 2016
Liverpool v Manchester United - Preview
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| Getty Images |
Jurgen Klopp has called Thursday's Europa League last-16 tie against Manchester United "the mother of all football games".
The Reds host United in the domestic rivals' first meeting in Europe, though it is in the second-tier competition rather than the Champions League.
However, Klopp said: "I always said the Europa League is very exciting.
"It's really, really big. I hope it's not the biggest [match] in my Liverpool career but it's very important."
Manchester United have won three European Cups - most recently in 2008 in its current Champions League format - while Liverpool have lifted the trophy on five occasions.
United manager Louis van Gaal said those who criticise their demotion to the Europa League are "living in the past", and Klopp believes the tie will still enthral the crowd at Anfield.
"I don't believe in enemies in football, I believe in real opponents," said the 48-year-old German, who took former club Borussia Dortmund to the Champions League final in 2013.
"I have absolutely no problem with Louis van Gaal but the last thing I want is for him to win. Games like this are the mother of all football games."
Liverpool have won the Uefa Cup - precursor to the Europa League - three times, most recently in 2001, while United's best run was to the quarter-finals in 1985.
The winners of the competition qualify for the Champions League and Klopp defender the standard of the tournament.
"What's Champions League level? I saw a lot of rubbish games at Champions League level. Liverpool and Manchester United want to always be part of it, sure.
"There's a long way to go but we can see the line. There's only top quality teams left in this tournament. From now on its something like a small Champions League."
Striker Daniel Sturridge is likely to return to Liverpool's starting line-up and right-back Nathaniel Clyne will return at the expense of Jon Flanagan, who is not registered to play in the Europa League.
Midfielder James Milner is doubtful after he was sent home from training with illness.
Jesse Lingard is suspended for Manchester United and fellow winger Adnan Januzaj is cup-tied, but Antonio Valencia is set to be involved after a foot injury.
Wayne Rooney, Ashley Young, Will Keane, Luke Shaw, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Phil Jones are all still out.
Friday, 4 March 2016
Stillitano Seeks Relevant Champions League
Closing off European football competitions to include only elite clubs could make them far richer, according to the American sports executive who has held talks with the leading English Premier League teams about a shake-up to long-established league structures.
The Relevent Sports chairman, Charlie Stillitano, held talks with Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United on Tuesday in London about this year’s International Champions Cup (ICC), an annual pre-season friendly tournament organised by his company. Stillitano confirmed they also discussed “restructuring the Champions League” – an issue high on the European Club Association agenda amid a power vacuum at Uefa.
Stillitano revealed that the European governing body has been keen on working with the ICC, which already attracts some of the world’s wealthiest teams to compete in games across the globe for a lucrative but meaningless prize. “We have even talked to Uefa in the past because they had an interest in our summer tournament,” Stillitano told the US satellite radio station SiriusXM. “That is something they would like to integrate into their portfolio.”
Joining forces with Relevent’s ICC would currently be incompatible with Uefa’s existing sponsorships. There are no plans with Uefa presently on the table but discussions have not been closed off.
Arsenal are the only team from the talks to go on the record in denying they advocate a breakaway Super League for Europe’s leading clubs.
Discussions within the ECA about the merits of advocating guaranteed Champions League places for prestigious teams come at a time when Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United are all in danger of missing out on qualifying for Europe’s top competition next season.
“What would Manchester United argue: did we create soccer or did Leicester create [it]?” said Stillitano, who met United’s executive vice-chairman, Ed Woodward, on Tuesday. “Let’s call it the money pot created by soccer and the fandom around the world. Who has had more of an integral role, Manchester United or Leicester? It’s a wonderful, wonderful story – but you could see it from Manchester United’s point of view, too.”
If the Premier League season ended now, Leicester and Tottenham would qualify for the Champions League alongside Arsenal and Manchester City.
“Maybe that is absolutely spectacular unless you are a Manchester United fan, Liverpool fan … or a Chelsea fan,” Stillitano said. “I guess they don’t have a birthright to be in it every year but it’s the age-old argument: US sports franchises versus what they have in Europe. There are wonderful, wonderful, wonderful elements to relegation and promotion and there are good arguments for a closed system.”
Stillitano believes Europe’s biggest clubs deserve to make more cash from the Champions League, given their contribution to making it such a financial success. He said fans are more likely to watch the Juventus v Bayern Munich and Arsenal v Barcelona games in the current round of 16 rather than matches involving PSV Eindhoven and Ghent.
"This is going to sound arrogant and it’s the furthest thing from it … but suddenly when you see the teams we have this summer in the ICC you are going to shake your head and say, ‘Isn’t that the Champions League?’” Stillitano said. “No, the Champions League is PSV and Ghent.”
Voicing the complaints he hears from clubs, Stillitano said: “I could make a lot more money, I can be a lot more visible, I can help my sponsors out but right now I am locked into doing certain things that are really historic.”
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